Large asteroid to hurtle past Earth on April 19
Eventually we will be hit as to when who knows...seems close though
"And
the second angel sounded the trumpet: and as it were a great mountain,
burning with fire, was cast into the sea, and the third part of the sea
became blood:
9 And the third part of those creatures died, which had life in the sea, and the third part of the ships was destroyed.
10 And
the third angel sounded the trumpet, and a great star fell from heaven,
burning as it were a torch, and it fell on the third part of the
rivers, and upon the fountains of waters:
11 And the name of the star is called
Wormwood. And the third part of the waters became wormwood; and many men
died of the waters, because they were made bitter." Apoc 8:8-11
An asteroid as big as the Rock of Gibraltar will streak past Earth on April 19 at a safe but uncomfortably close distance, according to astronomers.
"Although
there is no possibility for the asteroid to collide with our planet,
this will be a very close approach for an asteroid this size," NASA said
in a statement.
Dubbed
2014-JO25 and roughly 650 metres (2,000 feet) across, the asteroid will
come within 1.8 million kilometres (1.1 million miles) of Earth, less
than five times the distance to the Moon.
It
will pass closest to our planet after having looped around the Sun.
2014-J25's will then continue on past Jupiter before heading back toward
the centre of our Solar System.
Smaller
asteroids whizz by Earth several times a week. But the last time one at
least this size came as close was in 2004, when Toutatis -- five
kilometres (3.1 miles) across -- passed within four lunar distances.
The
next close encounter with a big rock will not happen before 2027, when
the 800-metre (half-mile) wide asteroid 199-AN10 will fly by at just one
lunar distance, about 380,000 km (236,000 miles).
The
last time 2014-JO25 was in our immediate neighbourhood was 400 years
ago, and it's next brush with Earth won't happen until sometime after
2600.
The April 19 flyby is an "outstanding opportunity" for astronomers and amateur stargazers, NASA said.
"Astronomers
plan to observe it with telescopes around the world to learn as much
about it as possible," the US space agency said.
Besides its size and trajectory, scientists also know that its surface is twice as reflective as that of the Moon.
It should be visible with a small optical telescope for one or two nights before moving out of range.
2014-J25 was discovered in May 2014 by astronomers at the Catalina Sky Survey near Tucson, Arizona.
Also
on April 19, a comet known as PanSTARRS will make its closest approach
to Earth at a "very safe" distance of 175 million km (109 million
miles), according to NASA.
The comet has brightened recently and should be visible in the dawn sky with binoculars or a small telescope.
Asteroids
are composed of rocky and metallic material, whereas comets --
generally smaller -- are more typically made of ice, dust and rocky
stuff.
Both were formed early in the history of the Solar System some 4.5 billion years ago.
